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rags

6 We are all infected and impure with sin.When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.7 Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy. Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. — Isaiah 64:6, 7 NLT

We were born in sin into a sinful world and as long as we live in this flesh, we will be affected by sin. In the flesh, we can do good deeds, but those good deeds will not get us into heaven. We can wash and clean the exterior but only the righteousness of Jesus Christ can cleanse the inside. Doing good deeds without Godly direction can be compared to painting a wooden house without repairing the rotten areas. It looks good to the world but soon the house will fall. When we look at our nation, there are still a lot of good things that we can observe but there are fewer and fewer God things. We have been blessed abundantly for so long that we have become comfortable and complacent in who we are. To worship means to honor and to honor requires obedience. When we aren’t obedient to God, we are putting ourselves in His place and trying to do His job. When we put other things above God and his commands, He cannot be Lord of our lives. Our God is a jealous God, He will be Lord of all or He will not be Lord at all. He has not and will not change. He does not negotiate nor bargain with us. But when we come to the end of the rope, if we reach out for His hand, He is always there to take our hand and carry us to safety. Let us examine our positions and agree with God. When we do, we will fall on our faces and plead for His forgiveness and mercy.

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” – Anonymous

There is absolutely no action or good work that we can do that will save our souls. Our righteousness is like filthy rags compared to the righteousness of Jesus. So, living good lives, doing good deeds, and obeying the law are useless for salvation. Sooner or later, we all have to kneel before Jesus, confess our sins, repent, take up our cross and follow Jesus. We are saved by grace through faith, lest any of us should brag that we have somehow saved ourselves. We must share in His suffering and death to experience the power that raised Jesus from the dead. When we do this, our hearts will be broken because of His suffering for us. But they will soon be filled with joy unspeakable because His Spirit abides in us and we will participate in His resurrection. We are in Christ and He is in us: therefore, we are totally immersed in Him. One day soon, we will be like Him! Hallelujah!

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. — 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

“The Gospel has come to you because it’s on its way to someone else.” -Anonymous